


Tale from the North

by xLoLix



Series: Avatar: ToFS and Other Stories [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bending (Avatar), Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Northern Water Tribe, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Post-Canon, Tags Contain Spoilers, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 08:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15115547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xLoLix/pseuds/xLoLix
Summary: The Northern Water Tribe's water bending master meets an unusual student.This story is set roughly ten years before the start of ToFS, and can be read independently from ToFS.





	Tale from the North

The first attack was unexpected.

It should be worthy to note that most attacks are generally anticipated, whether this is from longstanding vendettas, a seizure of resources and territory, or war. This attack is unexpected because the Northern Water Tribe is doing moderately well in terms of world politics, all resource disputes are entirely internal, and no one has been at war since the end of the Hundred Year War. The target had been the water bending school, which seemed odd. Normally, holding royalty for ransom or cutting supply lines and exit routes would hold a higher priority.

The attack hailed from the Southern Water Tribe. The two sister tribes have had their fair share of disputes throughout history, so this detail is far less surprising to Water Tribe members than it is to outsiders. The sight of the warriors’ garb, complete with wolf’s skin, evoked a distant familiarity of the men who served in wars long past. The real kicker was seeing a lone rider atop a polar bear-dog leaping down the icy cliff face that surrounded the city.

No one in the North Pole had ever seen a polar bear-dog, let alone fought one. Anyone who knew better would know tame ones were rare, even in the south. None of the students did. It had caught a number of them off guard. Its large mass slid across the snow before finally coming to a halt before the water benders. No one would admit to having squealed.

When the initial screaming and clamouring finally died down, only one voice was left ringing through the cold air.

'- want to challenge him!' The boy sounded unusually young. 'Which one of you is the master? I've come to challenge him!' The boy repeated. He had already dismounted his polar bear-dog, and was bent low to the ground in a ready stance. He wore the wolf’s skin hood low on his face, obscuring his features. A slight frame suggested the boy had not reached adulthood. Probably no older than seventeen.

Pai stood up slowly from her kneeling position on the raised snow bank at the head of the school. 'I am.' The students in front of her parted to give her a clear path to the intruder. 'But I am not going to fight you.'

'Why not?' The young man sounded outraged. 'You're a master; you should be able to take on challenges!'

Pai was unmoved and simply shrugged. 'You're nowhere near good enough. I can tell just by the way you're standing that you’re untrained. You will fight Miki instead.'

Miki was one of the lesser skilled students with only a couple years training. Pai figured she would be enough to deal with this – this delinquent. If not, then at least Miki would be able to hold out long enough for Pai to get a good sense of what kind of training the southerner had.

Uncertain, Miki stepped forward. Before she could get a chance to properly ready herself, the southerner had launched an initial torrent of water down on his opponent. The southerner's second attack did not land, and Miki was quick to find her footing and retaliate. From then on, Miki had kept the southerner on the defensive. Her form was better than the southerners, and her attacks were better placed. Perhaps a little predictable. Pai expected as much, but that is precisely why she had chosen Miki.

Pai had intended to watch the southern boy’s bending very closely.

He had a talent. That much had become clear. He was creative. He spent a good portion of his time studying Miki, a tactic which involved far more patience than Pai thought the southerner may possess. But the water. He was not bending it right. Anything that resembled a proper form was on the stiffer side. This wasn’t an uncommon problem among students. Particularly newer ones. There was also a deeper issue present and Pai didn’t need to be a master to see it.

The philosophy of bending is an integral part of the teaching. Without it, bending is just moving water from one place to another. The southerner's bending had no spirit. It was too clouded by anger.

There was something else that Pai could see, but couldn’t quite place what it was.

'Auntie,' it was her nephew, Talok. ‘This is a waste of time.'

When Pai didn’t say anything right away, Talok continued. 'He doesn’t know what he’s doing. I think we should kick him out.'

'You might be right,' said Pai. 'Miki, that's enough.'

The duel stuttered to a halt. The ice and water that Miki was bending falls back down from an aborted attack. The southerner doesn’t back down. He keeps a reserve of water at the ready, but otherwise doesn’t make a move.

'I've seen enough,' said Pai.

'Just go home southerner,' Talok spoke up.

The southerner's shoulders become tense. Pai had her arms raised to bend. She was ready to take him down if he refused to leave peacefully. Luckily, the southerner clenched his fists, dropping the suspended water gracelessly to the ground. He brought a hand up to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

The polar bear-dog had been standing on guard across from the students. At the call of its owners whistle, the polar bear-dog launched itself into a run toward the southerner. It didn’t stop or slow down as the southerner caught the animal by the saddle and swung himself on top in one smooth motion.

The city of the North Pole was nestled in an icy basin, surrounded by steep, icy cliffs. This did not give the polar bear-dog or the southerner any trouble, as Pai and her students watched them leap from outcroppings in the cliff face, all of which nearly invisible to the human eye. It was only a matter of minutes before the southerner disappeared over the top of the cliff and into the tundra beyond the city. Pai and her students couldn't help but stare long after he had gone, unsure how to go about their business after such a strange encounter.

\--

It's about a week after the incident. At this point, every one of the students had forgotten about the southerner. Another training session was coming to a close. Pai was glad to finally retire for the night and head home.

The peaceful afternoon was interrupted with barking and startled yells. The southerner had returned.

Pai stepped forward. 'Let me guess. You’re here for another challenge.'

'Yes!' the southerner yelled with more force than necessary.

The southerner dismounted the polar bear-dog, who trotted off to stand opposite Pai and her students once again, while the southerner readied himself.

Pai leaned over to Talok standing next to her and said, 'I’m going to get you to deal with him this time.'

'Really?' Talok looked at his aunt skeptically. 'Okay.'

Before Talok could move forward, Pai grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him back. 'But go easy on him,' she said in a low voice.

'Uh, sure thing,' said Talok, bewildered.

As soon as Talok had stepped forward far enough, the southerner launched an aggressive opening attack. Talok had no trouble blocking the water. It was followed quickly by another attack, and then another. The water was direct and unfocused. The southerner suddenly backed off, setting himself up to be on the defensive. Were those just test jabs?

Talok took the opportunity and launched into the offensive. Fine ropes of water were shot out as well defined javelins of ice. The southerner dodged and rolled out of the way. Talok switched to tighter, and faster javelins.

The southerner wasn’t fast enough. He throws up a wall of water. It’s not enough. Some of the ice made it through, knocking him on his back.

Talok backed off and let the southerner shake it off and come back onto his feet. The back and forth between them continued.

Once again, there is something about the way the southerner bends that bothered Pai. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it until a moment where the southerner did something a little different. For a brief moment, his form was correct. The southerner's footing was deliberate, and his weight shifted properly as he moved the water around him. That was a form that Pai got her students to practice. That’s it! He wasn’t using southern style water bending.

One more exchange had Talok land a particularly nasty blow on the southerner. Instead of continuing the duel, the southerner brought a hand up to his mouth and let out a short whistle to call his polar bear-dog, and the two disappeared just as they had the week before.

\--

The southerner had come back again the next week.

And the next week.

And the next.

Each time, he would face off against Talok and lose, and then disappear with his polar bear-dog up the cliff and into the tundra.

The southerner had improved. Between the spying (at this point, it was a mystery to no one that the southerner spent the week up on the ridge of the cliff watching the students practice) and the duels with Talok, the southerner had outpaced most of Pai's students in terms of the practical uses of water bending. He had also gotten quite inventive in the meantime. To Pai, it was interesting to watch the southerner fill in the gaps of the instruction he was missing, try them out, and then make adjustments against Talok. He graduated from forcing the techniques, to more fluid, easy motions.

'Try only using octopus form this week,' Pai had said to Talok. 'He's relying too much on dodging. Freeze him in place and go from there,' she instructed some time later. 'Don’t attack. Just defend,' was another instruction. Through Talok, Pai had managed to sharpen the southerner's skill. Regardless, it still ended the same. After a sound defeat from Talok, the southerner would retreat. Gone for another week.

This had gone on for the rest of the summer months, and continued into the beginning of fall.

'Hold on, Talok,' said Pai one week.

The students had gotten into the habit of milling around, standing in a vague semicircle, ideal for watching the weekly duels. Talok had been warming up for the southerner’s arrival when Pai had called him.

'I'll be dueling him this week, if you don’t mind,' said Pai.

Talok didn't say anything right away, but he made no effort to hide his skepticism. The look told everyone he in no way believed the southerner is anywhere close to being a decent match for the water bending master. 'Are you sure?' Talok asked.

The rest of the students shared looks of agreement.

'I'm sure,' said Pai. 'Step aside.'

After a moment, Talok fell back into the crowd of on looking students and let Pai take his place.

Almost on cue, the polar bear-dog made its entrance over the nearby cliffs and into the snowy field. The southerner dismounted, and then he saw who stood before him to accept his weekly challenge. He looked between Pai and Talok, unsure. After a moment, it seemed the southerner decided this was fine and readied himself.

Pai did nothing. The southerner hesitated for another moment, then made his move. He tested Pai with various attacks. Pai made no effort to counter his moves. She remained entirely on the defensive.

The exchange dragged on longer than the usual matches. At some point, Talok always lost his patience, and ended each match easily. Pai remained steadfast, and deliberately did everything she could to drag the match out. Anyone could see the inevitable outcome.

The southerner soon started to tighten his attacks, his timing became better placed. There were some moments where Pai found herself cutting it a little too close with her counter maneuvers. But the southerner was getting worn out quickly. The water bending master didn't need much longer to keep this up. The attacks started to lose their strength, and soon after, any semblance of form or precision deteriorated. Finally the duel had come to a complete halt.

The southerner was panting heavily, and his arms shook from the cold and the over exertion. He brought up a hand to his mouth-

Pai launched two small and fast streams of water and froze his hands over with blocks of ice. She made her advance on him. Unbalanced, the southerner stumbled backwards.

Pai let loose one final blow to his chest.

The southerner fell hard on his back, losing the wolf skin hood. He managed to sit back up, but without the use of his hands, he couldn’t retrieve his hood. All he could do was duck his head down and turn away. He even brought his knees up to curl in on himself. It wasn’t enough to hide.

As Pai approached, she could see for the first time what the southerner's face looked like. He had his hair up in a wolf tail. An old, but common style among the more traditional men of the south. His face on the other hand told a different story. Pai had originally guessed a late teen, but it then it was obvious she had wildly overestimated that. His face had soft lines and gentle features.

'Is that a girl?' Talok asked from somewhere behind Pai. 'I was fighting a girl this whole time?'

The southerner winced and his face contorted into an ugly expression. His shoulders began to shake.

'Talok, that’s enough,' Pai snapped.

Pai knelt down low in front of the southerner and frees his hands from the ice. Immediately, the southerner brought up an arm to cover his eyes. He’s curled up tight like a ball on top of the snow. The southerner let out a quite sob.

‘I think it’s time that you all leave,’ said Pai. She made sure to convey that there was no room for argument.

Slowly, the students leave. Talok lingered just a moment longer before finally leaving the southerner to Pai.

‘It’s just you and me now,’ said Pai. She has a feeling she’d be here a while, and adjusted herself to sit down properly.

The southerner’s shoulders shook with barely suppressed sobs. For a moment, the two just sat in the stillness of the evening snow.

The moment is broken when Pai was startled by a large mass of white fur. The polar bear-dog had approached, and had given the southerner a hard nudge with its forehead. Finally, the southerner uncurls himself to hug his companion. Pai could see the tear stains on his face, hiccoughing as he took in a deep breath. Now that Pai had a better look, she can’t help but see how feminine his features were before burying his face in the polar bear-dog’s white fur.

‘Would it be right to keep calling you young man?’ asked Pai.

There’s a moment of hesitation and then the southerner gave the tiniest of nods.

After another long moment, the southerner had calmed down some more. He reaches behind him to retrieve his hood.

‘You know,’ Pai kept her voice as gentle as she could manage. She didn’t want to scare the boy off. ‘I’ve read about people like you.’

The southerner paused in the middle of brushing the snow off the wolf skin. A complicated set of emotions moved across his face. Pai could sense disgust and anger most of all.

‘They’re supposed to be a blessing to have around, and they played important roles in the past,’ Pai explained. ‘But we haven’t been granted any in centuries.’

The southerner just about forgot the wolf skin in his hand and waited for Pai to get on with her point.

‘I think,’ Pai continued, ‘that is why we’ve forgotten about those people.’

The southerner didn’t say anything. He sniffed and made an attempt at wiping away the last of his tears while mulling over what Pai had said.

'How are you feeling?' Pai asked.

The southerner glanced up at Pai in surprise and then quickly back away again. 'Exhausted,' he sighed.

'And hungry too, I bet,' said Pai.

The southerner tipped his head to the side and shrugged.

So-so then. Not as bad as Pai thought, but not great either.

It’s one of the things Pai had been thinking about. Hunting around here is different compared to hunting at the South Pole. At least when it gets colder. So it doesn’t matter during the summer months, but when game gets scarcer in the fall and winter, the southerner would have gotten caught off guard. A spotty food source would have meant a lack of energy, which may have factored into his performance in the past couple weeks.

'You got a name?' Pai asked.

The southerner grimaced at that. 'I don’t like my name.'

Pai shrugged. 'Pick a better one.'

In the shyest voice Pai had ever heard, the southerner said, 'I like Koda.'

'Okay, Koda,' said Pai. 'You don't have to if you don’t want to...'

Pai is immediately met with suspicion. Koda eyed Pai with a deeply guarded expression. If it wasn’t for the redness in his eyes, Pai could have almost been fooled into believing he'd be unfazed regardless of what she’d say.

'You can stay in the city,' said Pai. 'I can arrange something. If you’d like to stay a while.'

Koda shook his head. 'No, I don't-'

Pai had watched Koda very carefully, and in an instant, Koda's expression shuttered rapidly with another set of complicated emotions.

'I don't want pity,' Koda said finally. His face was emotionless as he stood up and mechanically pulled himself back on top of the polar bear-dog.

Pai stood up and said nothing. She simply watched as Koda disappeared over the icy ridge, same as every week before.

\--

It was a few days later. Pai was in the middle of one of her demonstrations for the day’s lesson. She modified her movements to be large and exaggerated. A lot of her older students had noticed the change months ago, and have learned to tone down the movements to a more appropriate level. They know that motions like that are easier to see from far away.

The lesson was interrupted by a shouted profanity from one of the students. Koda and his polar bear-dog had come early. Both in time of day and in number of days passed. What was missing was the grand leaping entrance, and the challenge for a match.

There was tension and uncertainty among the students as they watched Koda slide off his companions back. When he approached, he had his arms over his chest in a protective manner. All of that well known aggression was almost entirely drained away. He still wore the wolf skin cap. Beneath that, Pai had made out teeth that were chewing nervously on a bottom lip.

'Um, I was wondering,' said Koda; his voice barely above a whisper. He tried again. 'I was wondering if I could watch you practice down here.'

'Of course, you're more than welcome to practice with us,' Pai said without any hesitation. 'Talok, make some room.'

Talok obeyed, stepping aside to make room near the front of the group. He waved at Koda to come closer.

Koda doesn't budge.

'Oh, what?' Talok deadpanned. 'You're gonna come all the way down here and not expect us to make you practice? Get over here.'

Koda hesitated just a bit more until he finally took his place next to the other boy, uncertain.

The polar bear-dog, on the other hand, found a clear patch of snow to flop down on. It watched its owner carefully while it rested its head down on folded paws.

Pai nodded her approval. 'Now,' she readied her stance and put her arms up in a standard pose. 'Let's try something different.'

Pai had switched back to some of the most routine, basic forms. More than half of her students rolled their eyes at her. The particularly pouty ones got a solid glare in return. Pai was more interested in watching Koda.

'The heart of water bending is in our ability to adapt and change,' Pai lectured. 'To flow in a way that does not contradict our nature and environment. Water can freeze, but it does not resist the same way a stone can. Water can flow, but it does not bow in the same way the air does. It is balance and harmony. It is a negotiation and compromise. This is the truth that was granted to us by the moon and ocean spirits, Tui and La.'

Pai paid special attention to Koda while she spoke. Pai can see that Koda is at least listening to what's being said. It’s another thing altogether for him to understand the lesson. Pai doesn't expect him to figure out water bending philosophy in a day. His motions are stiff, and rushed. She wondered if this is how he's normally practiced, or if he's just not used to the new situation. Considering how well he held up against Talok before now, she guessed the latter.

'Slow down,' Talok said to Koda, 'you're not in a fight.'

Koda tensed up even more, freezing up and gave up on the form entirely.

Pai was about ready to jump in and scold Talok. It would be just like him to pick a fight with his long-time rival. Her nephew proved to be a bit more thoughtful than she gave him credit for.

'Hey, it's okay,' said Talok. His voiced had dropped to something gentler. 'I know you're better than that. You can relax.'

Koda doesn't quite relax, but at least he's not on guard to run or strike out like he was just a second ago.

'Good grief, you really are a newbie,' Talok rolled his eyes.

Koda frowns and makes his frustration known with a grunt.

'Here. Come on.' Talok beckoned Koda aside while also taking up a small portion of water up from the snow with a casual sweep of his hand.

Talok gently passed the water to Koda, who didn't know what to do with it until Talok told him to pass it back. The water gets passed back and forth until Koda's motions slow down and smooth out. The water goes from being jerked around to moving in a gentle circle. It's a familiar and old practice to every water bender. Talok walked him through the exercise with small encouragements and praises.

Pai almost forgot to continue with the lesson as she watched the two out of the corner of her eye. (It's Miki who politely cleared her throat to get her attention back.) She had to admit she didn't expect her nephew to act so kindly to Koda right away. Then again, he has been the one facing off Koda every week, so he's also gotten to know Koda in his own way. She's underestimated him far too much lately. Or maybe he's just gotten attached to Koda the same way she had.

When the lesson came to a close, Koda had to wake the polar bear-dog from its afternoon nap. With a yawn, the animal lazily stood and stretched out its body. It would need to prepare to ascend back over the ice cliff.

'I don’t like it,' said Talok in a hushed tone to Pai. 'We shouldn’t let him leave. It’s almost fall. What if something happens? What if an early storm hits?'

'Talok, I know how you feel,' Pai sighed. 'I already offered, but we can't make him stay if he doesn’t want to.'

Talok rumbled his discontent and was clearly restless with frustration. ‘Uh, no disrespect auntie, but I’m pretty sure he wants to.’

Definitely attached.

Still, no one could really say or do anything besides watch Koda and his polar bear-dog disappear over the ice cliff again.

\--

Koda comes back the next day.

And the next day.

And the next.

\--

It was a new day. If this was several weeks before, this would have been the day of the week that Koda would have been expected to arrive at the end of the lesson to challenge Talok. So when Koda didn’t arrive on time, no one knew what to expect.

As it turned out, Koda split the difference by showing up halfway. 'Sorry I'm late.'

This was met with raised eyebrows and sidelong looks among the students. No one is really convinced that there should be anything on Koda's plate that would make him late for any reason. It's just one thing after another with this boy.

Koda slid into the space reserved for him next to Talok. When Pai resumed the exercise, she watched Koda, and wonder's what it could be this time. It has been getting colder. Maybe the growing scarcity of food is starting to hit him harder now. She had told him that he was more than welcome in the North Pole. Pai wondered if her live and let live approach has been wrong.

 

'No challenge this week,' Talok commented to Pai at the end of the lesson. 'Change of heart?' Talok didn't sound like he had a lot of confidence in that assessment.

'I have a feeling,' said Pai, 'that it may have more to do with a change in seasons. I mean that literally by the way.'

Koda had been making his way to leave, but he'd been stopped by Miki of all people.

Talok frowned. 'I'd hate to see him starve out there.'

'Seems to be the running theme of our conversations lately,' said Pai.

Koda wasn't being left alone any time soon. Miki seemed to have a lot to say.

'What do you think that's all about?' Talok asked in a quieter tone.

'She's asking him out on a date.' Pai deadpanned. She’d meant it as a joke.

\--

How Pai had forgotten the fall equinox festival is a mystery to no one. Well, no one except for Pai. You would think as the current master of water bending in the North Pole, she'd have a handle on these types of affairs. Her brother had come to the habit of nagging at her daily for a week approaching any major event. Somehow, even after so many years, it still always ends with Pai forgetting that she's supposed to be somewhere doing something important. ('You forgot again, didn't you? Well, good luck, because it's tonight.')

As a result of years of practice, Pai had gotten very good at being unruffled by the exasperation her tardiness often inspires. One of the ways Pai does this is by walking in as if she’s exactly on time. The other way is to play the 'I'm the water bending master' card when convenient and not be bothered at all by how often she's used it.

The fall equinox celebration is as lively as it is any other year. It seemed like the entire city has come out to have some fun. Pai's understanding of its significance is about as good as anyone else’s, which is; This summer fishing season is over... we're probably supposed to pray to the moon spirit, and uhhh, something, something, eating lots of food.

As the water bending master of the city, Pai is expected to exchange pleasantries with a good portion of the aristocracy of the city. It was a role Pai was totally comfortable fulfilling.

‘So what’s the news,’ Pai asked Talok in a hushed tone so that no one else could overhear. ‘What did I miss?’

‘Dad’s mad that you’re late.’

‘That’s not news.’

‘The fish cakes are better than usual this year.’

‘That continues to be not news.’

‘Seriously, you should grab one before they’re gone,’ said Talok. Then he pointed across the hall. ‘Miki is in a good mood.’

Pai had to pause at that one. ‘I am interested in this because…?’

Talok gave his aunt a look. ‘You said it yourself. Miki asked him out on a date.’

‘What- who?’ Pai’s head immediately shot up. She was frantically looking in the direction Talok had pointed at earlier. ‘Koda’s here?’

Pai actually saw the wolf’s skin hood before she spotted Miki. The boy was stuffing his face in aforementioned fish cakes. All while Miki was introducing him to her parents. Typical southern manners. He even had the audacity to lick his fingers clean during the conversation.

Pai let out a hearty laugh. ‘This is unexpected.’

‘So how long do you think before he ducks out and disappears again?’ asked Talok.

Pai wasn’t listening. She muttered ‘a minute’, and then took off in Koda’s direction, leaving a confused Talok in her wake.

She made her way between the mingling crowds. Someone, she didn’t pay attention to who, attempted to stop her, only to be greeted with a random pleasantry and then literally shoved aside.

‘Koda,’ Pai doesn’t care what she’s interrupted, ‘what a pleasant surprise.’

‘I was invited,’ said Koda, almost defensively.

He glances over at Miki. Right on cue, she launches into an excited conversation about this and that. Her parents had already drifted off elsewhere. It’s a good half hour of anecdotes, laughter, and light conversation before Pai finds a moment alone with Koda. Miki had spotted a group of her friends and ended up getting swept away with them.

‘How are you liking the festival?’ Pai asked.

‘A little stuck up,’ Koda shrugged. ‘It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, so...’

‘I’m surprised you came at all.’

Pai got another shrug for a reply.

There’s a moment of silence between them. They watch the crowds of people. There were children running between the groups of adults with sparklers in hand. It won’t be long before the chief makes a speech to kick off the fireworks display.

 

‘I think I’ll stay a while,’ said Koda suddenly.

Pai laughed. ‘I should hope so,’ she said. ‘Wouldn’t want you to miss out on all this good food. I heard the fish cakes are nice.’

‘I meant in the North Pole,’ Koda snapped. ‘It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.’ He tugged at the top of his hood. It hardly made a difference. It’s not like anyone could see much of him anyways. ‘I don’t get you.’

‘I like you a lot, and,’ Pai shrugged. ‘I think you’re worth having around.’

If Koda had something to say about that, Pai would never know. It was right then that the chief began the more ceremonial part of the festival. He kept his speech short and sweet so that they can move on to the real show. It wasn’t much longer before the skies were filled with gold and red lights and sparks. The fireworks explosions echoed off the icy cliffs surrounding the city.

When Pai looked back to her side again, Koda had disappeared.

Pai wasn’t worried in the slightest. He would return again. Like he always had.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Tom, see you Monday!


End file.
